Wayland board weighs in on Natick dog park

Plans for a dog park near Lake Cochituate in Natick are sparking concerns across the town line in Wayland.

The Wayland Surface Water Quality Committee wrote a recent letter to Natick's Conservation Commission urging officials to find a new location.

"A dog park should not be located next to South Pond of Lake Cochituate because of the potential for contamination of the lake from dog wastes containing E. Coli and weed/algae nutrients," the committee wrote in the Sept. 12 letter.

The letter comes as Natick officials are designing a park to be built along land along Rte. 135 by the Middlesex Path parking lot. The town wants to build the park with grant funds and money donated by non-profit Fun Informed Dog Owners (FIDO) of Natick. The park, which has generated controversy among Natick residents, would be fenced in and feature about a 6,000-square-foot area for small dogs and about 10,000 square feet for large dogs. The Conservation Commission offered initial support for the park location in June.

The park design seeks to preserve healthy trees and calls for a wood chip surface that absorbs chemicals found in dog urine. Users would need to pick up solid dog waste, town and project officials have said.

The Wayland committee heard from some people opposed to the proposed location and decided to weigh in. Wayland officials have closed a town beach on Dudley Pond after rainwater washed animal wastes into the pond. Officials have also worked to manage surface water quality in its section of Lake Cochituate, said committee Chairman Toni Moores.

Lake Cochituate flows from south to north, so water travels from South to Middle to North ponds and eventually the Sudbury River, according to the letter.

If Natick goes ahead with the proposed dog park, officials should provide dog waste bags, incorporate rainwater runoff controls into the park and frequently test groundwater and runoff, according to the letter.

Natick officials said they plan to do or consider those items.

"We're waiting to see an engineered design," said Conservation Commission Chairman Matthew Gardner. "A lot of issues Wayland raised are worth consideration and should be taken into account."

Officials will be better able to assess these topics once the design is done, he said.

Proponents plan to have dog waste bags at the park and have consulted experts about environmental matters. Groundwater at the park is more than 7-1/2 feet beneath the surface and soils are favorable for infiltration. The areas' terrain should help keep runoff away from the lake, said Conservation Agent/Planner Victoria Parsons.

"We're trying to do all the due diligence we can and finding scientific research to help back up our design," Parsons said.

The commission has yet to review the Wayland letter, but plans to discuss it, she said.

Moores said his committee would have similar concerns if a dog park were proposed near a water body in Wayland.

Brian Benson can be reached at 508-626-3964 or bbenson@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @bbensonmwdn.